Question:
Hari Sharanam!
Gurudev, could you kindly send a word-picture of Vaikuntha? 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Answer (Brahm Bodhi):
When Brahmaji performed deep penance, Lord Vishnu revealed to him the vision of His supreme abode—Vaikuntha. This realm is the highest of all worlds; beyond it there is nothing. It is free of sorrow, delusion, and fear. Time itself holds no sway here, nor can maya (illusion) touch it. The atmosphere is pure, saturated with unmixed sattva—untouched by passion (rajas) or darkness (tamas).
The Realm of Pure Devotion
Vaikuntha is the dwelling place of the Lord’s exclusive devotees, those who are honored alike by gods and demons. Only love and reverence breathe here; nothing impure can enter.
The Divine Inhabitants
The residents of Vaikuntha are wondrously beautiful. Some are dark-hued, others fair; their eyes resemble the petals of a lotus—calm and charming. Clad in yellow silks, their forms radiate sweetness. Each bears four arms, adorned with shining gems, ornaments, and crowns. Their bodies glow like coral, cat’s eye stones, or tender lotus stalks. Earrings glimmer, pearls shimmer, and their presence fills the realm with splendor.
Celestial chariots, radiant as lightning among clouds, glide across the skies. Divine maidens, filled with grace, enhance the beauty of the realm. The air is alive with light and music.
Service of the Divine Mother
Here dwells Goddess Lakshmi herself, ever serving the Lord with countless forms. With her attendants, she sings and dances in joy, offering flowers from heavenly gardens at the Lord’s feet. Her presence fills Vaikuntha with auspiciousness and grace.
The Supreme Lord of Vaikuntha
At the center, Brahma beheld Lord Vishnu—Master of the Satvatas, Consort of Lakshmi, Lord of Sacrifice, and Sovereign of the universe. Around Him stood His chief attendants—Sunanda, Nanda, Prabala, Arhana—ever alert in His service.
The Lord’s face glowed with compassion. His eyes, radiant with delight, bore a reddish hue of joy. He wore a golden crown and earrings, a garland of forest flowers, and the Shrivatsa mark upon His chest shone brilliantly. Clad in yellow silk, He was seated upon the most revered throne, surrounded by His eternal energies—sixteen principal and five secondary, all personified.
Abundant with opulence, both eternal and occasional, He resides there in joy—beyond decay, beyond end.
Brahma’s heart melted at this vision. His body trembled, tears of bliss filled his eyes, and he bowed low at the Lord’s lotus feet.
The Path to Vaikuntha
The Bhagavata Purana gives us a further glimpse through the journey of Dhruva, the child devotee, who was carried to Vaikuntha on a divine chariot:
As the chariot soared, the three worlds faded away;
even the brilliance of gods and sages seemed distant.
Above all realms, filled with peace and effulgence,
Vaikuntha shone with its own light—
not lit by sun or moon,
but radiant in itself,
and through that light the entire creation was illumined.
Yet, this path is not open to all. It is barred to those whose hearts are hard, who harm others, or who remain bound in selfishness.
It opens only to those whose lives are steeped in virtue, whose minds are calm, who see all beings equally, and who delight in bringing joy to others. Above all, those who cherish the devotees of the Lord as their dearest companions and well-wishers—such souls alone become worthy of Vaikuntha.
Vaikuntha is not merely a place. It is a state of pure divine fellowship—an eternal home where the soul, free of fear and illusion, beholds the Lord forever.
To think of it is to long for it. To long for it is to begin walking toward it. 🌸
Swami Brahm Bodhi 
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